Customizing code templates

You can use the Customization Editor to add to the File > New menu, file-creation wizards that use custom Java Emitter Templates (JET templates) and Editor templates.

You must have access to custom JET templates for creating ABL code to be able to add file-creation wizards that use these templates.

You can also override the standard templates used by the options on that menu or the ABL Editor context (right-click) menu. After defining template customizations, you can use the Customization Editor to edit or remove them. You can also associate these templates to custom project types.

For information about creating JET templates, see OpenEdge Architect: Working with Custom Templates in the Product Documentation section of the Progress Software Developers Network Web site.

Your template files must be in your Java class path. You can specify template directories to be added to your class path in Customization Preferences.

Begin by opening the Customization Editor. In the OpenEdge Editor perspective, select OpenEdge > Tools > Customization Editor.

Follow these steps to add a new JET template entry to the File > New menu:
1. In the Available Extension Points tree view, click New JET Templates.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a name, and optionally an image file for an accompanying icon, to appear on the File > New menu.
4. In the Template file field, enter the name of the Java class file containing the compiled JET template.
5. Save your changes.
Follow these steps to add a new Editor template entry to the File > New menu:
1. In the Available Extension Points tree view, click Editor Templates.
2. Click New.
3. Enter the appropriate values for the fields that appear in the New Template dialog. See Editor Templates options for detailed information about these fields.
4. Save your changes.
5. You can also edit, remove, import, and export Editor templates. See Editor Templates options for detailed information about these operations.
Follow these steps to specify a template for use in place of a standard Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge template:
1. In the Available Extension Points tree view, click Template Overrides.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Template field, select the standard template that you want to override from the drop-down list.
4. In the Template file field, enter the name of the Java class file containing the compiled JET template to be used instead.
5. Save your changes.
After adding or overriding template definitions:
1. Save your changes by selecting File > Save or clicking .
2. To make the changes take effect, click (rightmost on the Customization Editor toolbar) to reset the OpenEdge Editor perspective. Then, click Yes in the restart prompt that appears. Your changes do not take effect until you restart Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge.